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PM reassures tourism industry of continued gov’t support

PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare last week has reassured the local Tourism Industry of the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC) Government’s ongoing commitment to advance the industry.

Addressing the Council of Tourism Ministers Meeting in Honiara last Thursday, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the industry and the challenges faced, which, he said the Government will continue to provide necessary assistance to develop.

“The DCC Government will continue to provide you with the right impetus for our development aspiration,” the Prime Minister said.

With that reassurance, the Prime Minister also urged the Council and their stakeholders to focus their efforts on the industry by being inclusive in their approaches, create synergies and to be realistic in their goals.

“Put your selves in the shoes of Solomon Islanders who are willing to actively participate in the industry, feel their problems and think strategically on how to deal with these issues,” he urged.

Since coming into power in late 2014, the DCC Government has pledged to support the industry because of the potential that the country has in tourism.

The industry itself has great potential for sustainable development in the country and that is why the government is committed to place greater emphasis to grow the industry.

In 2013, figures has showed that just little over 24,000 visitors visited Solomon Islands and they have injected over SBD500 million into the economy.

“This is a substantial injection of financial resources and if only Solomon Islands can raise the number of tourist arrivals in the country, we would acquire huge financial inflows,” the Prime Minister said.

Areas that the Government will continue to work together with the Council and its stakeholders to address include pertinent issues of Infrastructure, investment, funding modalities, cruise ships, land, aviation, human resources and security.

Last week’s council meeting was the first collaborative event between the National Government and the Provincial Governments in the tourism sector hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism with corporate support from Our Telekom, Heritage Park Hotel and the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau.